Animated Comedy/Action: A disparate group of prehistoric animals form an unlikely alliance to return a human baby to its tribe at the onset of the Ice Age.

PLOT:

It's the beginning of the Ice Age in prehistoric times and herds of animals are migrating to avoid the oncoming and permanent wintry weather. That is, except for daffy Sid the Sloth (voice of JOHN LEGUIZAMO) who's overslept as usual and has been abandoned by his family.

After a bad run-in with two ill-tempered rhinos (voices of CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER & STEVEN ROOT), Sid flees for his life and then runs into Manfred the Mammoth (voice of RAY ROMANO) who's heading against the flow of traffic. Manfred's sheer size allows him to defeat the rhinos' attack and that makes Sid think he's found a new friend. Manny wants nothing to do with the little fellow, though, and makes no bones about that, but Sid won't let him be.

Meanwhile, a group of saber-toothed tigers -- Soto (voice of GORAN VISNJIC), the leader, and his followers, Diego (voice of DENIS LEARY) and two others (voices of DEIDRICH BADER & ALAN TUDYK) - are planning an attack on a tribe of humans they claim has killed half of their pack. Hungry for revenge and dinner, Soto orders Diego to seize a toddler and return it alive to him. The tiger attempts to do that, but the child's mother manages to escape, but without ultimately sacrificing her life.

The human child eventually lands in the possession of Manny and Sid, with the former wanting nothing to do with it until Diego's arrival and statement that he simply wants to return the baby to its tribe. Not trusting the tiger, Manny decides to return the toddler himself, but Diego warns that without his tracking abilities, the mammoth, sloth and the toddler might perish in the harsh environs.

From that point on, and as a saber-toothed squirrel, Scrat (sounds of CHRIS WEDGE), repeatedly comes across their path all while trying to protect and bury his precious acorn, the unlikely trio sets out to return the baby, with only Diego aware of what lies waiting for them at the end of their journey.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

It's a good bet that many of them will, particularly in light of the success of previous computer animated efforts.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG

For mild peril.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

It's debatable whether kids view animated animal characters as role models, but here's a quick look at the major characteristics of the main characters.

MANFRED is a solitary mammoth who wants nothing to do with Sid, Diego or the young human, but reluctantly decides to return it to its tribe himself in order to protect it from Diego.

SID plays a daffy sloth who won't let Manny be and acts as somewhat of a constant and goofy irritant to him.

DIEGO is a saber-toothed tiger who initially wants to seize the human child and return it to his pack for dinner. After he's around the child long enough, however, he begins to have conflicting feelings about the whole matter.

SOTO is his leader, another saber-toothed tiger who wants payback on the humans for reportedly killing half of his pack.

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a brief summary of the content found in this computer-animated adventure film that's been rated PG. Violence consists of various creatures being killed off-screen (a tiger is impaled by falling ice, various dodo birds inadvertently do themselves in various ways), as well as a human woman presumably drowning (one moment she's seen exhausted in a river, and at the next, she's gone). Various scenes of animals fighting are present (where the intent is to harm or kill others), while various instances of slapstick style material (animals hitting or being hit by others or objects, being smashed, etc. for laughs) also occur.

Some of those scenes and other moments of apparent peril (such as saber-toothed tigers attacking others and trying to seize a human baby) could be unsettling, suspenseful or downright frightening to some younger viewers, but that depends on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material. A few instances of minor crude humor are present, as are some minor sexually related comments that will go over most kids' heads.

Meanwhile, a few colorful phrases are uttered and some tense family moments are present (a human father trying to find his lost child, an animal remembering what happened to his family). Should you still be concerned about the film and its appropriateness for anyone in your home who wants to see it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding its content.

Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be tense or unsettling for some younger viewers, but that depends on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material.

While played for adventure and laughs, the following may be suspenseful to some younger viewers. Scrat inadvertently causes a fissure to form in the ice that eventually sends a humongous chunk of it to start falling his way, with smaller pieces landing like daggers behind him as he tries to run out of the way (after going back to retrieve an acorn he was attempting to bury). He then tries to make his way out from between two gargantuan chunks of ice that are coming together. He gets caught at the very end and is nearly squashed, but he manages to squeeze out, only to find himself then falling hundreds or thousands of feet toward the ground below (he bounces several times on the way down before hitting the bottom).

Some young creatures appear to be stuck and sinking in a tar pit, but it turns out they're just playing.

Some large rhinos chase after Sid, intent on harming him. He then runs to Manny for safety, and the two rhinos then push Manny back toward the edge of a cliff. Manny then pushes them back and sends them flying through the air, but they come charging back at him. Manny then tosses both of them aside with his tusks, but Manny and Sid then fall off the edge (but are okay after landing on the downward slope).

Diego and other saber-toothed tigers prepare to attack a human encampment and steal a baby as a means of revenge (for the humans previously killing half of their pack - not seen). Moments later, they attack and a human must knock one of them aside. The humans then try to defend themselves with spears, while Diego goes into a tent and goes to get the baby, but the mother hits him on the head with a club. He then chases her through several locales until she gets to a very tall waterfall and decides to take the plunge with her baby to avoid the tiger.

Manny and Sid spot a human mother holding onto a branch in a river as she tries to get her baby (in a pouch) to shore. After Manny gets the baby safely onto shore, they then see that the mother is gone (and presumably drowned).

As Sid tries to climb up a sheer cliff to return the baby to its tribe, the baby starts to slip from its pouch and then falls toward the ground. As Manny prepares to catch it, Diego suddenly leaps through the air and snags the toddler.

Sid, Manny and Diego race toward the safety of a cave as large amounts of ice fall toward them. Inside, they then see various icicles dangling above them like huge daggers (that are shaking from outside vibrations), but they never fall.

Manny looks at some caveman paintings of various animals, including that of a mammoth family. He then imagines (and we see) those images come to life (still looking like cave drawings) where the mammoth family (where Manny is presumably the father) is threatened by humans with spears and is then separated from his wife and child (who are presumably permanently separated from him or possibly killed).

As Sid, Diego and Manny walk across an ice field, various volcanic explosions suddenly go off around them, causing them to run for their lives as the ice and snow quickly melt, leaving them atop isolated, vertical ice formations that they must run and leap from one to the next (with lava below them). Sid and Manny make it, as does Diego, but the tiger then finds himself trying to hold onto the edge of the ledge. Manny then tries to creep out and save him, aware that his weight could cause the whole thing to fall into the lava below. He does save him just as the ice breaks away, but Manny is then starting to fall and he slips over the edge on a chunk of ice (we presume to his death). Volcanic forces, however, shoot him and the ice upward and away from danger where he lands quite hard on the ground (temporarily knocking him out, but he's okay).

A scene where Soto tells other tigers how they're going to ambush, corner and then kill Manny (with Soto going for his throat) might be unsettling for younger kids.

Some of the saber-toothed tigers chase after Sid who's leading them on skis, and younger viewers will think/worry that he's dropped the baby, exposing it to the tigers, but it's just a decoy.

Soto and Diego get into a fight (claws flailing), while other tigers try to get Manny (who throws them off). Diego is then thrown aside and knocked out and the various tigers then slowly approach Manny who's surrounded. Soto then leaps toward Manny's throat, but Diego intercepts him just in time.

Manny knocks an attacking tiger aside that's then impaled and presumably killed by falling daggers of ice (we don't see the impact or death, but it's implied).

Some kids may be worried about Diego as he appears to be dying from wounds suffered in a fight, but we later see he's okay.

Various humans charge at Manny with their spears, but the baby's father calls them off.

Sid wakes up to find that his family has left without him, but he doesn't seem overly worried or upset about that.

A prehistoric human watches in vain as a saber-toothed tiger chases after his wife and child. We then watch the mother try to protect that child (and later assume that she drowns as one moment we see her getting the baby out of water to safety and the next she's gone). The father then searches for both (unaware of his wife's apparent demise), but then gives up.

Manny looks at some caveman paintings of various animals, including that of a mammoth family. He then imagines (and we see) those images come to life (still looking like cave drawings) where the mammoth family (where Manny is presumably the father) is threatened by humans with spears and is then separated from his wife and child (who are presumably permanently separated from him or possibly killed).

Scrat tries to make his way out from between two gargantuan chunks of ice that are coming together. He gets caught at the very end and is nearly squashed, but he manages to squeeze out, only to find himself then falling hundreds or thousands of feet toward the ground below (he bounces several times on the way down before hitting the bottom). Once there, Manny unknowingly steps down on him, squashing him into the ground, and several other large animals then do the same (with him eventually getting stuck on the bottom of one of their feet as they walk along). He's later seen okay.

Some large rhinos chase after Sid, intent on harming him. He then runs to Manny for safety, and the two rhinos then push Manny back toward the edge of a cliff. Manny then pushes them back and sends them flying through the air, but they come charging back at him. Manny then tosses both of them aside with his tusks, but Manny and Sid then fall off the edge (but are okay after landing on the downward slope).

Hail hits Sid on the head as he stands outside in a thunderstorm.

A lighting bolt hits Scrat at the top of a barren tree, electrifying him (but he's later seen okay).

Diego and other saber-toothed tigers prepare to attack a human encampment and steal a baby as a means of revenge (for the humans previously killing half of their pack - not seen). Moments later, they attack and a human must knock one of them aside. The humans then try to defend themselves with spears, while Diego goes into a tent and goes to get the baby, but the mother hits him on the head with a club. He then chases her through several locales until she gets to a very tall waterfall and decides to take the plunge with her baby to avoid the tiger. The humans' large dogs are then let loose on the tigers that then retreat, with the humans also throwing spears at them.

Manny and Sid spot a human mother holding onto a branch in a river as she tries to get her baby (in a pouch) to shore. After Manny gets the baby safely onto shore, they then see that the mother is gone (and presumably drowned).

Sid falls and bounces down a sheer cliff. Later, he steps on a stick that then shoots upright and smacks him in the face like a rake.

Manny whacks Sid on the head with his trunk, and then does so again, when they realize that makes the baby laugh (and stops it from crying). Diego then hits Sid on the head as well. Moments later, Manny pushes Diego away.

More slapstick style material has some dodo birds accidentally hitting others, while one also falls into some sort of pit of bubbling liquid that apparently kills it (played for laughs, and we don't see the death, but others forewarned of it and then react to it). More are apparently killed (going off cliffs, falling into more of those pits, etc.) in what's essentially a long joke about them going extinct.

Sid then runs through more dodo birds like a football player (he's carrying a watermelon), stiff-arming or knocking many of them aside. Finally, the remaining dodos all fall off a cliff to their presumed deaths.

Scrat attacks Sid (played for laughs) to protect his acorn.

Sid gets Diego to put him in his mouth (as if he's caught and killed him) to fool some rhinos who are after him, but Diego then won't let him out from his massive fangs (until Manny tells him to).

Acting like two young kids in the backseat of a car, Sid and the baby start punching each other.

As Scrat tries to inform the others of Diego's diabolical plan, the tiger swipes the squirrel aside, sending him flying through the air.

Sid hits Manny with a snowball, and we then see a huge one land on Sid (thrown by Manny).

Sid accidentally clotheslines himself by running into some ice.

After sliding for a long way through an ice cave, Sid, Diego and Manny then successively slam into an ice/snow bank and crash into each other, as well as Scrat.

Manny looks at some caveman paintings of various animals, including that of a mammoth family. He then imagines (and we see) those images come to life (still looking like cave drawings) where the mammoth family (where Manny is presumably the father) is threatened by humans with spears and is then separated from his wife and child (who are presumably permanently separated from him or possibly killed).

Manny pushes Diego back against a wall with his tusk (upon learning of the latter's earlier goal).

Manny uses a large tree trunk/branch to hit some of the approaching saber-toothed tigers.

A tiger tries to pounce on Sid, but ends up getting jammed into a hole.

Soto and Diego get into a fight (claws flailing), while other tigers try to get Manny (who throws them off). Diego is then thrown aside and knocked out and the various tigers then slowly approach Manny who's surrounded. Soto then leaps toward Manny's throat, but Diego intercepts him just in time.

Manny knocks an attacking tiger aside that's then impaled and presumably killed by falling daggers of ice (we don't see the impact or death, but it's implied). We then see that Diego is rather injured by his fight with Soto and appears to be dying (but is later seen okay).

Various humans charge at Manny with their spears, but the baby's father calls them off.